[src/trunk]: src/distrib/notes/alpha Document some of the 1.3 -> 1.4 features.

[ross <ross%NetBSD.org@localhost>]

details:   https://anonhg.NetBSD.org/src/rev/78a2557b4865
branches:  trunk
changeset: 472145:78a2557b4865
user:      ross <ross%NetBSD.org@localhost>
date:      Fri Apr 23 00:04:07 1999 +0000

description:
Document some of the 1.3 -> 1.4 features.

diffstat:

 distrib/notes/alpha/whatis |  51 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++------
 1 files changed, 44 insertions(+), 7 deletions(-)

diffs (64 lines):

diff -r b06c900644b3 -r 78a2557b4865 distrib/notes/alpha/whatis
--- a/distrib/notes/alpha/whatis        Thu Apr 22 22:39:09 1999 +0000
+++ b/distrib/notes/alpha/whatis        Fri Apr 23 00:04:07 1999 +0000
@@ -1,16 +1,53 @@
-.\"    $NetBSD: whatis,v 1.4 1999/01/13 07:30:02 ross Exp $    
+.\"    $NetBSD: whatis,v 1.5 1999/04/23 00:04:07 ross Exp $    
 There have been many, many Alpha-specific enchancements since the
-1.2 release. These include:
+1.3 release. These include:
 .Bl -bullet
 .It
-Supporting more system types (including the 8200/8400).
+Many new system types are supported:
+.Bl -hyphen -compact
+.It
+EB66 Evaluation Board
+.It
+ALPHABook 1
+.It
+Digital AlphaServer 4100 systems
+.It
+Digital AlphaServer 1000 systems
+.It
+Digital AlphaServer 1000A systems
+.It
+Digital AlphaServer 800 systems
+.It
+Digital Server 330x systems
+.El
+.It
+Jason Thorpe's new virtual memory code provides
+full support for the alpha's large address space with context switching
+and translation buffer state optimizations.
 .It
-Making many more device drivers (mostly from the i386 port)
-work on the alpha.
+Extensive scheduler work enables process nice levels to work as expected,
+fixing ancient BSD scheduler bugs that affected NetBSD/alpha more than
+other ports with slower clock Hz defaults. Nice +19 and +20 processes
+now take no time away from nice +0 programs regardless of load average.
+.It
+Many new device drivers and sound cards are supported. Floppy
+disk drives are now supported.
+.It
+IDE peripheral devices are now supported on Multia and AXPPCI33 systems.
 .It
-Changing the object file format from COFF to ELF, and adding
-shared library support
+A new multi-volume boot loader allows all supported system types
+and device drivers to be present on floppy disk media, and enables the
+.Em sysinst
+screen-menu installation program to be included on
+floppy disks as well. Although two floppies are now used, they load
+much faster than the single floppy did in 1.3.
+.It
+Installation from CD and magnetic tape media is now supported.
+.It
+A new set of boot programs provides considerable operational and
+performance enhancement.
 .El
+.Pp
 NetBSD \*V on alpha is, as usual, also fully backward compatible
 with old NetBSD/alpha binaries, so you don't need to recompile all
 your local programs.